Right side body mounts installed. All 8 done and torqued to spec.

I need a break from fixing automobiles.

 

Fixing automobiles broke me.......

 

UPDATE: From time to time in this thread I have mentioned a nasty clunking/creaking noise coming from the front end while slow turning in/out of parking spaces. Also, a nasty vibration near the steering limits while in PARK and the brake applied (not so much without the brake applied). Well, it appears 75% of this problem has been solved.

I knew I had at least one bad motor mount. I could see a crack in the left side mount. I believe I posted a picture of it earlier in this thread. I planned on changing them out but just couldn't get motivated to lay on the garage floor with my face stuck in the undercarriage messing with motor mounts. So I hired my mechanic to do the job. A good ole country boy mechanic. Well, he just got done. Said the one side was completely collapsed which made it impossible to get a wrench on the bolts on the other side. He had to cut them out. Anyway, he got both mounts replaced. I still have some creaking noises going on but about half of what it was. It isn't as menacing as it was. And the nasty vibration at the steering limits is essentially gone. I feel good about that because that vibration just wudn't right. So I may leave the remaining creaking noise to "It's just an old truck" and just see how it goes moving forward. Maybe it's just a caliper barking at me. I never changed those.

Truthfully, I do not know how that motor mount caused all that steering/braking ruckus. I didn't see it. Heck, the engine was not shifting around hardly at all when goosed. Didn't think it was that bad. It should be noted I discovered that cracked mount a couple months ago. It was a hairline crack then. When I looked at it the other day it had opened up and got worse. So as it stands now, a bad motor mount on a 318 can really raise a fuss beyond what I thought it could.

 

Moog hands down is the best quality front and suspension parts you can get OEM is always good and duralast is fairly decent I personally have not heard of or used driveworks but I have also had good luck with the Rock Auto cheapest possible route just to get me back on the road cause at the time I couldn't afford anything else and every time I did that I had intended on replacing the part's with better quality within 6 months and the last time was about 5 years ago and they are still on the vehicle today with zero issues but definitely if you can swing the extra cost of the Moog definitely go that route

 

I stayed away from Moog on the advice of a couple veteran car geeks prominent on this thread. Evidently, Moog was bought out by Federal Mogul some 5ish years ago and their quality has become suspicious since. Having never used Moog parts I could not speak from personal experience but I absolutely respect their opinions.

Instead, these same guys have suggested other part makers that I went with plus some of my favorites over the years. In the short amount of time since I installed them plus my evaluation simply inspecting the parts prior to installation, I have been very happy and have stuck with these brands as often as possible for other repairs and my wife’s Jeep.

So what brands are these? Proforged (under the Holley product line), ACDelco, Wagner, Bendix, KYB, Timken, and Energy Suspension. There are others but these are the ones I’ve used of late. These are all reputable aftermarket manufacturers and you simply will not lose with any of them.

RockAuto offers up these options on many parts. I usually stay away from their economy stuff. And even with shipping, they’re still cheaper than the box stores. And as for the box stores, they typically sell two levels as well. I stick with the premium level parts. I’ve had good luck with them.

One brand I always stayed away from was ACDelco. Truthfully, I couldn’t tell you why. Perception from who knows where. But I have done a 180 with ACD. In fact, I have their parts all over my Dakota and the wife’s Jeep. I have yet to get a crappy part from them. And they have a wide offering of auto parts. I’m always relieved to see their name when looking for specific parts. Again, they offer two levels as well. I’m speaking specifically about their Professional (Gold) line. Ralph set me straight here and he was right. You can see and feel the quality in their parts when you get them in your hand. You pay a little more than average but good stuff.

To me, if I’m taking the time to change out parts, I want good parts and wont skimp on them. I don’t have any desire to go back and do the job twice.

 

And another update on the clunking/creaking noise. A few posts ago I mentioned I had the motor mounts replaced. That got rid of a considerable amount of the nasty vibration at the steering limits and some of the clunking. But there remained some more noise. I hired another mechanic I know. A younger guy short of 40 but tenacious and methodical. He had a stethoscope and spent a lot of time checking all over the front end. Four guys standing under my truck looking for that clunking. Well, his stethoscope led him further back. Turns out the two bolts securing one end of a crossmember to the frame (that the driveshaft bearing support attaches to) was loose. He cinched them up and the clunking noise was essentially eliminated.

That said, there is still some creaking and popping noise up front that happens on slow turns and seemingly when the brake is applied. Sometimes when I’m not turning. Not sure what I will do about it if anything at all. 67% of the noise and vibration has been eliminated with new motor mounts and securing that crossmember.

One thing I never did was put in new brake calipers. That’s cheap and easy enuf to take a chance on. Maybe that square cut piston seal is getting funky on me. I drove many years with nasty brake fluid. Maybe my master cylinder piston rod is cruded up from the nasty brake fluid too. I dunno. I’ll contemplate it for awhile or just wait for it to explode. Nothing is leaking.